Green-eyed monster
by Lady Impala
Summary: Set after episode 10x02. Ian gets jealous when a new inmate arrives at the prison. (the new character is loosely based on a deleted Mickey prison scene from 6x01).


Ever since the stabbing incident, and both men having said things to each other that they weren't proud of, things were tense between Ian & Mickey. Mickey was quieter than usual, which made Ian worried. Was he regretting getting himself locked up with Ian? They still fooled around, usually in the middle of the night, but it was mostly just hand jobs and Mickey would always roll over and go to sleep when they were finished, never inviting Ian to sleep next to him. Ian felt as though Mickey was putting up a wall again, and it scared him more than he wanted to admit.

It was another ordinary day in prison when the new inmates arrived. Ian was heading to work in the infirmary when he saw them arriving and being assigned to their cells. At lunch he headed to the cafeteria where Mickey was already eating with Enzo. Ian got a plate of food and sat down to join them. Mickey was deep in conversation and was laughing, which Ian hadn't seen him do in a while. It made his heart swell and sink at the same time. He loved seeing Mickey's smile but at the same time he was sad that he hadn't been the one to make Mickey smile...not in a long time, apart from when they fooled around, but lately it was always in the dark of night and he couldn't even see Mickey's face. Soon after Ian sat down to lunch, Mickey got up, saying he was going to hit the crapper. That was another thing that has changed since the stabbing incident. All of a sudden, Mickey had started going to the bathroom during the day, as if he was suddenly self-conscious about taking a dump in front of Ian. Ian felt bad about what he'd said. It wasn't like Ian even really cared, it was just that being cooped up made you know someone more intimately than you should ever know someone, and the cabin fever and lack of romance had really started getting to him. Ian poked at his food miserably. After almost a year he still hadn't gotten used to prison food and most days he had to force himself to get it down.

Hearing Mickey's voice from a distance, he looked up from his food to see his boyfriend talking to one of the new inmates. Ian had noticed the new inmate this morning because he stood out from the other cons. He was taller than average, with a slender build and although not exactly Ian's type, he was definitely good looking enough to stand out in a crowd. Ian wondered why Mickey was talking to him, or more specifically why this guy had seemingly stopped Mickey in his tracks to speak. Mickey wasn't one to make friends easily, and besides the few friends he had in here, he only spoke to people when he needed something from them. If anyone else tried to talk to him he would tell them to fuck off. What could he possibly need from this inmate who was fresh off the bus? It almost looked like they knew each other, the way they were casually talking. Ian couldn't help staring and almost considered getting up to join them before remembering that he had been the one to want some space and it wouldn't be fair to crowd his boyfriend just because of his curiosity. Eventually Mickey left to go to the bathroom and the new inmate watched him as he walked away...watched him a little too long in Ian's opinion. Ian tried to brush it off as he made his way back to work that afternoon, but he couldn't stop wondering who the mysterious inmate was and why his boyfriend was talking to him.

When Ian got back to their cell that night, he was sitting on his bunk, trying to read a book while Mickey brushed his teeth. After re-reading the same line five times his curiosity got the better of him.

"Hey, who was that guy you were talking to at lunch today?" Ian asked, trying to sound nonchalant but failing dismally.  
Mickey startled a little as though he didn't expect Ian to speak to him or maybe he was caught off-guard by the question.

"Who, Enzo?" Mickey asked, spitting his toothpaste into the sink, a confused look on his face.

"No, no uh that new inmate that arrived this morning...do you know him or something?" Ian once again tried to sound casually, only briefly glancing up from the book in his hand.

A look crossed Mickey's face that Ian couldn't quite place. Like he was weighing up whether to answer or not, and almost as though he might have been a little ashamed? It was quickly replaced by his usually stoic front.

"Uh yeah man...that's my uh, that's my ex, Ryan." Mickey replied, turning back to the sink to rinse his cup.

Ian's heart dropped...had he heard right? Mickey has an ex? A male ex? Since when? I mean Ian had thought he might have fucked a couple guys in Mexico, and probably in prison as well, but he always assumed it was just sex and never anything more. To be honest, Ian had never really asked him. He knew Mickey didn't want to hear about Ian's exes, even though they had come up in conversation before on more than one occasion. Ian suddenly realized how incredibly arrogant he had been to have thought that Mickey wouldn't have moved on, even after he knew that Ian had.

"Oh, I...I didn't know, you never mentioned him", Ian stammered.

"Yeah well you never asked. I didn't expect him to wind up here. He got released a couple months before I escaped Cook County. The stupid fuck propositioned a police officer," Mickey chuckled, as though he found it both amusing and a little impressive.

Ian felt his face go red. He didn't want to picture them together, but he had to ask.

"So how long were you two..." Ian trailed off, fearing the answer.

"Uh, he was my first cell mate and I guess we started fucking right after I got locked up but then..." this time Mickey trailed off, as though he was remembering something.

Ian wanted to press him to finish his thought. What did Mickey mean by saying, 'but then…?' 'but then it turned into something more?,' 'but then you fell in love with him?' Ian's mind was racing with possibilities. Possibilities that made him feel sick. He knew he had no right to feel this way. He had been with other guys, dated Caleb and Trevor. So what if neither of them had given him the same thrill or even come close to making him feel the way he did when he was with Mickey. Ian had been the one to dump Mickey, the one to move on when Mickey got locked up. Ian knew he was being selfish for even feeling jealous, but he couldn't help it.

Mickey conveniently changed the subject to something that had happened in the laundry room and how disgusting it was. Ian was only listening half-heartedly. At least Mickey was talking to him again. But he couldn't help picturing this Ryan guy with his Mickey.

That night Ian lay awake. He couldn't get the images out of his head. Images of Ryan making Mickey laugh. Of the two of them kissing…fucking. Had Mickey let Ryan fuck him? As far as Ian knew he was the only guy to have ever fucked Mickey. Now he was beginning to wonder if he had been wrong. How many others had there been? If he dated a guy in prison, then who's to say he didn't have other boyfriends in Mexico. Hot, tanned Hispanic guys. And now that this Ryan guy was here, would he want Mickey back? They had shared a cell together for what must have been at least as long as him and Ian had, probably even longer. Maybe they hadn't fought as much. Maybe Ryan wasn't as annoying or nagging as Ian had been. Maybe Mickey would want to move back into a cell with his ex and leave Ian for him. Ian's heart was racing. The more he tried not to think about it the more the thoughts came flooding in. If he were on the outside he would've gotten up and gone for a run, to get some fresh air and help clear his head. But in here he was trapped. Like a caged lion. He felt himself start hyperventilating and tears prickling at his eyes. He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt a warm hand on his face, wiping his tears.

"Hey", Mickey whispered, "come on man breathe." Mickey had climbed up to stand on the bottom bunk and was leaning over him, cupping his face.

Ian fixed his green eyes on Mickey's blue ones and tried to mimic his breathing. Immediately he started to calm down, focusing on those blue orbs like a beacon of light in the dark cell. When he had finally calmed down, Mickey hoisted himself up onto the bed and lay beside Ian. The top bunk wasn't made for two people and it creaked under their weight, but Mickey just drew closer to Ian.

Ian turned to face him before whispering, "I love you Mickey, I love you so fucking much and I'm so sorry for everything", tears were now falling from Ian's face, onto the pillow under his head.

Ian had apologized before but now he just felt like he needed to apologize for everything he had ever put Mickey though. And he hated the fact that it took the thought of losing Mickey to someone else to make him realize how much he had fucked up.

Mickey just kissed Ian on his forehead, held him close and whispered "I love you too man. Always have, always will. And I'm sorry for being such a dick these past few weeks, bitching about mayo and shit."

That got a laugh out of Ian: "It was pretty gross though", Ian said with a smile.

"First thing I'ma do when I get out of this shit hole is stock up on some premium A-grade lube.' Mickey said with a grin. 'Seriously, I don't care if I hafta rob a fucking sex store but I never wanna see another packet of goddam mayonnaise again in my life."

They hadn't spoken about what would happen after they got released. They knew Mickey had more time than Ian. Ian had already decided he would wait for Mickey, no matter how long it took. He knew there was no one else for him, not in here and not out there. Suddenly Ian felt worried that Mickey would be moving on in here without him.

"So, when we get out, are you gonna use that A-grade lube on me, or..." Ian asked, honestly unsure of the answer.

"Who the fuck else would I use it on?" Mickey asked like it was a dumb ass question.

"I don't know, maybe one of your other exes?" Ian asked, sounding a little more jealous than he intended to.

Mickey sighed, "Ian, the only reason I was with other guys is because I knew you were too, and I knew you weren't gonna wait for me. And I don't expect you will when you get released either, but..."

Ian interrupted him: "I will wait Mick! I don't care how long it takes; I will wait for you. I never moved on from you, not really. As hard as I tried no one ever compared to you. And I know no one ever will."

And there it was, even in the dim light of the cell, Ian saw Mickey smile. A genuine smile that reached his eyes. Ian couldn't help but return his smile with his shit-eating grin that only Mickey could ever evoke. They kissed passionately, both smiling all the while, until Mickey pulled away enough to start speaking.

"Ok, you need to fuck me, I don't care if it's dry or whatever, just get on me," Mickey started reaching for Ian's draws.

"Just hold on", Ian said, climbing over his boyfriend and hopping down to grab something from inside his jumpsuit.

"You've got to be kidding me," Mickey murmured, expecting Ian to produce a sachet if mayonnaise.

Ian hopped back up waving something in his hand: "It's not premium A-grade but Chester slipped it to me as a thank you gift to us for stabbing him."

Mickey squinted in the dark to see the small tube of medical lubrication.

Mickey let out a genuine laugh as Ian pulled down his pants: "Well shit, we gotta stab Chester more often."

Next door Enzo rolled his eyes when he heard the bunk start creaking, but it was a welcomed noise compared to the usual fighting. He had to admit, he had a soft spot for the two idiots in love next door.


End file.
